This invention pertains to the field of eyeglasses and particularly to frames for eyeglasses worn for vision correction or recreational activities.
Eyeglass frames are conventionally constituted of a face part that is extended at both ends by sidepieces that are generally articulated on hinges.
It has been proposed in the prior art to embellish such eyeglass frames by providing modifiable elements on the sidepieces.
As an example, PCT patent WO 98/23994 describes an eyeglass frame structure comprising a transparent central element and a frame located around the element, with fixed parts that hold the transparent element in a fixed manner with respect to the frame. A decorative element is mounted in a manner such that it can turn with respect to the fixed parts from one position in which one decorative aspect of the decorative element is visible to a position in which another decorative aspect of the decorative element is visible.
PCT patent WO 97/44699 also describes eyeglasses comprising a frame designed to hold lenses as well as sidepieces and comprising a block which is fixed by a hinge on the frame, bows as well as a segment located between the block and the bows and mounted on the hinge block in a pivoting manner with respect to the frame. The pivoting segment can be adorned in various forms, present various printed decorations on different sides or be multicolored.
The eyeglass frames of the prior art comprising a modifiable decorative element employ a relatively fragile mechanism. It comprises a pin the two ends of which are mounted on elements that can be temporarily displaced so as to allow pivoting of the decorative element. The lateral sides of the decorative element are plane with and present a section which is identical to the section of the adjacent fixed parts.
The goal of the invention is to make possible a variability in the appearance of the eyeglass frame by means of a robust technical solution that allows the user to modify the appearance of the sidepiece in a simple manner without the risk of weakening the frame.